What does crisis intervention primarily aim to do?

Crisis intervention primarily aims to stabilize the client's situation and emotional state in times of acute distress. This approach is focused on providing immediate support and assistance during a crisis, with the objective of helping the individual regain control over their emotional responses and circumstances. During a crisis, individuals often experience overwhelming stress and may have difficulty functioning; therefore, the primary goal is to ensure safety, provide support, and facilitate the development of coping strategies to manage urgent needs.

In contrast, exploring feelings about crisis events or providing long-term therapy solutions does not fit the immediate, action-oriented nature of crisis intervention. Exploring feelings may be more appropriate in a longer-term therapeutic context, while eliminating negative beliefs is often a more gradual process that can occur during ongoing therapy. Therefore, while understanding a client's feelings and addressing beliefs are important in substance use treatment, they are not specific aims of crisis intervention, which is focused on immediate stabilization and support.